The Big Questions is a faith and ethics television programme usually presented by Nicky Campbell

Nicky Campbell

Nicholas Andrew Argyll "Nicky" Campbell is a Scottish radio and television presenter and journalist. He is known for his time presenting on programmes such as the consumer affairs programme Watchdog...

. It is currently broadcast live on BBC One

BBC One

BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...

 between 10:00am and 11:00am on Sunday, replacing Heaven & Earth as the BBC's religious discussion programme.

The format is loosely based on BBC1's political discussion show, Question Time

Question Time (TV series)

Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...

, though it also contains elements that are more familiar to daytime chat shows. Each show features four panellists from a range of different religious and ethical perspectives, as well as a number of contributors from the live studio audience.

Each week, panel and audience debate three ethical, moral or religious topics which featured in the week's news.

Panellists have included notable atheist Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...

, convert to Roman Catholicism Ann Widdecombe

Ann Widdecombe

Ann Noreen Widdecombe is a former British Conservative Party politician and has been a novelist since 2000. She is a Privy Councillor and was the Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1987 to 1997 and for Maidstone and The Weald from 1997 to 2010. She was a social conservative and a member of...

, imam Ibrahim Mogra, Scottish philosopher John Joseph Haldane

John Joseph Haldane

John Joseph Haldane is a leading Scottish philosopher, commentator and broadcaster. He is a Papal Adviser to the Vatican. He is credited with coining the term Analytical Thomism, and is himself a Thomist in the analytic tradition....

, Bible scholar Francesca Stavrakopoulou

Francesca Stavrakopoulou

Francesca Stavrakopoulou is an atheist Bible scholar and senior lecturer in the University of Exeter's department of Theology and Religion. The main focus of her research is Israelite and Judahite history and religion...

, Lord Carey, Jonathan Bartley

Jonathan Bartley

Jonathan Bartley is the founder and co-director of Ekklesia, a Christian think tank based in London, and a left-wing religious commentator who appears regularly on UK radio and television programmes...

, Peter Hitchens

Peter Hitchens

Peter Jonathan Hitchens is an award-winning British columnist and author, noted for his traditionalist conservative stance. He has published five books, including The Abolition of Britain, A Brief History of Crime, The Broken Compass and most recently The Rage Against God. Hitchens writes for...

, Alexander Goldberg

Alexander Goldberg

Alexander Goldberg, b. Guildford in 1974 is a barrister, chaplain and human rights activist. He founded and chaired the CCJO René Cassin human rights group and is the Chief Executive of the London Jewish Forum and the Chaplain to the University of Surrey....

, Ian McMillan

Ian McMillan

Ian McMillan is a British poet, journalist, playwright and broadcaster who has continued to live in Darfield.-Background:...

, Michael Nazir-Ali

Michael Nazir-Ali

Michael James Nazir-Ali was the 106th Bishop of Rochester in the Church of England: he retired in September 2009, taking up a position as director of the Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue...

 and Decca Aitkenhead.

The programme used to have a slot for a celebrity interview in which a famous person talks about their life and their moral, ethical and religious beliefs and interests. Such celebrities have included Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...

, Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...

, John Barrowman

John Barrowman

John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and...

, Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah is an English writer and dub poet. He is a well-known figure in contemporary English literature, and was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008....

, John Simpson and Jamelia

Jamelia

Jamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...

. In the second series this section was dropped, and the whole programme instead concentrates on the three discussions.

The programme is produced for the BBC by Mentorn Media (owned by Tinopolis

Tinopolis

Tinopolis plc is a Welsh independent television production company, owned by its senior management and private equity company Vitruvian Partners.Tinopolis produces over 2,500 hours of television annually for more than 200 UK and foreign broadcasters....

).

From July 2010, The Big Questions's breaks and its slot was filled with a new studio-based religious and ethics discussion programme, Sunday Morning Live

Sunday Morning Live (BBC)

Sunday Morning Live is a religious and currents affairs discussion programme. The first series aired on BBC One from July 2010 to November 2010 after the end of the third series of The Big Questions.A second series began on 26 June 2011.-Format:...

 hosted by Susanna Reid

Susanna Reid

Susanna Reid is an English journalist and presenter, best known for presenting BBC Breakfast.-Early life:The youngest of three children, Reid was born in Croydon, London to an English father who worked as a management consultant, of Scottish ancestry, and an English mother who worked as a nurse...

. The Big Questions still runs January - July, Sunday Morning Live runs July - November.